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Friday, December 21, 2007

COOLER EXCLUSIVE- "Governor Graft"

The Cooler has obtained documents that show Mike Huckabee received $378,000 in consulting fees during 2006, while he was still governor of Arkansas.

Most noteworthy, $35,000 came from Novo Nordisk, one of the world's largest embryonic stem cell researchers. It seems that when money is at stake Huckabee may be able to look past his supposedly fervent opposition to this procedure

He also received speaking fees and honoraria from churcheswhile Governor.

It is certainly calls into question whether or not it is appropriate for a Governor to be taking a consulting fee from interest groups, as Huckabee did, when issues surrounding that interest group could come across his desk.

The consulting money was funneled through an organization called 12 stops, a group created in 2004 to handle Gov. Huckabee's book deals. With all the attention Senator Obama received for running a separate PAC and potentially funnelling money from maxed out donors through that PAC, it calls into question whether Huckabee may have done the same.

Line change Cooler....the day the story broke on Rudy and the security fees hidden away in obscure city departments, I posted it was the beginning of the end on Red State and that's exactly what happened. Mark my words, Evangelical Christians won't rationalize this story, they will back away and support another candidate. I understand Huck has turned down Russert for two consecutive weeks of "Meet" and he can't hide any longer, this one takes him to the political woodshed!

Good for you Governor Huckabee. I still support you, will be caucusing for you on January 3rd, and am loving the fact that you are continuing to be attacked by the "establishment." That means you are doing something right. I like a guy who knows how to make money. It does not bother me a bit. At least you are not out there saying the following:

1. I watched my dad march with MLK (Gov. Romney lie).

2. I am a life-long hunter (Gov. Romney lie).

3. I received the NRA endorsement (Gov. Romney lie).

I am too tired to go on. Romney may think he can buy this election, but Iowan's see past him. CC, keep after Huckabee, it makes us like him even more!

Before you go off and start thinkin you're the next Woodward and Berstein here....you ought to recheck your work..

A simple Google search of Novo Nordisk shows that they are NOT an embryonic stem cell research organization..far from it..

They are a healthcare company with an 84 year history of developing treatments for diabetes..which..Mike Huckabee was diagnosed with and was the clarion call for him to lose weight and get healthy again...

Want proof? Go to novonordisk-us.com

Also..looked at those reporting forms you posted.. The dates for the NovoNordisk honoraria payments were 3/1/2007 and 3/12/2007..

AFTER HUCKABEE LEFT OFFICE..

So sorry to burst your bubble..but there will be no Pulitzer's coming your way..

"Set Them All Free Mike Huckabee" cant hide the from the facts. He released more dangerous criminals than Bill Clinton. Remember "Set Them All Free Mike Huckabee" stated that he fought the Clinton Machine and won. I guess that was in the contest on who could be the most liberal leaning Governor in releasing dangerous criminals and weakening the Meth drug laws. "Set Them All Free Mike Huckabee" did beat Clinton as he pardoned or commuted more than 1,033 people. He sure did beat the Clinton Machine and won the trophy even over Michael Dukakis. I will keep my family and community safe by voting for Mitt Romney the Governor who did not pardon a single criminal on his watch! Then again Mitt was not looking for political favors or cash like "Speak for a Large Fee Mike Huckabee"! Mitt Romney it will be for Iowa and for ME.

Hey Folks,My dad grew up in Iowa and I now live in Arkansas. This story is just the begining... He had all sort of 501c4's set up. I am not going to tell you how to vote, but I am glad that the truth is coming out about his payments. Many here in Arkansas know about how he took money. He has never released all the donors to some of these 501c4's that he used to take payments from. Either way, I think he should release the full list, yet he won't. Also, a very large 527 is attacking his opponents and he claims to have no ties, yet Chip Saltsman and the Executive director of Common Sense Issues who are running these adds are great friends. Also the board directors for this group has held fundraisers. Which would mean all the activity is illegal. Lets just remember what we are facing if he wins the nomination. I still like Richard Nixon, but I don't want a Richard Nixon situation again, and Mike Huckabee sure seems to operate in the gray areas. I bet more will come, because we in Arkansas don't have a lot of money, but we sure wish we could tell you about a former Governor and he sure wouldn't be reelected here. Ask him how he paid for his campaign bus or airplane. Once reporters hear this one, everyone will be second guessing whether we should support this guy. He is no Ronald Reagan and regardless of issues, he would destroy our hopes once Hillary's machine starts to unleash what they know about him.

If you bothered to follow the link posted you would have seen that it was a diabetes research center by the caption at the top of the page, "Novo Nordisk is changing diabetes" without having to google it. The fact they research diabetes is not the point, the point is that they utilize stem cells to do so which is supposedly something that your pro-gun, pro-life, liberal candidate is against. Next time follow the link and READ. My guess is you are just blind as you would have to be to not see all of the Huckster's flaws.

Who are you trying to kid . . . and why? Ron Paul supporters don't "switch", plain and simple. If they were the kind of people who would switch to one of the other die-cast candidates, they wouldn't be RP supporters in the first place. Why on earth are you saying that? To suggest that others might do the same? Good luck; it ain't happening. And, oh yeah, what exactly is the "brand new idea" that is wrong?

I'm actually starting to feel a little sorry for Mike. It seems like each day there is another news item coming out about his poor judgement on some issue as Governor. How many more are there? It's a little scary. As Mitt has said about Mike - (paraphrasing) "he's a good man, he's tried to do the right thing" - there are just too many wrong choices made here for me to consider him a viable candidate for President. Plus I'd rather have a President who chooses not to play the victim every time someone disagrees with him.

All I ask is that people quit following blindly. Read about his record in Arkansas for yourself and do your research. Google his name. There are plenty of public records. Read and be informed; please? It's so important. I want a candidate who I can be proud of and when skeltons come out of the closet the way that they have with Mike Huckabee, you owe it to yourself to find out the score and please get your heads out the sand. Don't follow blindly.

In a follow-up to RedStateGuy's response that Novo Nordisk is, in fact, engaged in embryo stem-cell research, I'll first repeat a link to their website.

After that I'll quote a short passage from that website: "Novo Nordisk is - and has been for a long time – a partner in national and international cooperative projects involving stem cells. Our primary research activities on embryonic stem cells from mice were recently expanded to include cells of human origin."

Game, point, and match Cooler's Been BUSTED. It would appear that CBB is the BUSTED one. Heh.

I doubt this will quell the mindlessly dedicated, such as 12:47 Anon, who said "Don't forget that they change the subject fast when they have their asses handed to them by 8:38.

Seriously, how stupid are these guys not to do any research on their own..."

Alas for cowardly Anon, many of us are quite capable of doing our own research. Not only that, we can read (and comprehend) what we discover.

I'm not especially anti-Huckabee, but some of his defenders here come across as posturing idiots who make the Ronulans appear convincing by contrast.

UPDATE: Fred Thompson’s campaign noted Huckabee’s comments and emailed WashWire to note that in March 2007 Huckabee took a $35,000 honorarium from Novo Nordisk, a company involved in stem cell research.

Wow! Imagine that, a politician did something that all other politicians have done. No one can say their choice for president, whether Republican or Democrat, hasn't any skeletons in the closet. No one voting for them can say they have no skeletons in the closet.

My grandmother said it best, "all politicians are crooked, but you are suppose to vote for the one who is going to be crooked for you".

Huckabee is going to be my crooked politician choice based on the his Fair Tax support.

I doubt I'll burn in hell if I vote for someone who consulted a research company on the moral issues pertaining to stem cell research.

Republican hopeful Fred Thompson doesn't plan on returning to the stables after the lead-off caucuses next month.

The former Tennessee senator told a roomful of supporters in Waterloo Tuesday that after a pair of early wins over the last week, conservatives may finally have found their horse in this presidential race.

"And I'm here to tell you, 'saddle me up,'" Thompson said.

Thompson returned to Iowa for a 22-county bus tour after a strong showing in last week's Des Moines Register debate, along with collecting the endorsement of U.S. Rep Steve King, a Kiron Republican.

"On January 3rd, the people of Iowa are going to have to make an important decision," he said. "Who do we want representing us to stand against this all? Who do we want representing us to defend our values and principles? ... It's too late in the game to be coy about it, folks. I think I'm that man."

Thompson ran down a list of those issues -- the role of government, taxes and federal spending and national defense. He also took time to focus on immigration, a hot button issue in the state.

Thompson said one of his key policies will be to strip federal funding for "sanctuary cities," which often have policies directing police and local officials not to inquire about the immigration status of residents.

"It says to these sanctuary cities, if you continue to do this -- which is a violation of federal law -- we will give you no federal funding," he said. "You're going to have to do it on your own."

Thompson peppered his speech with wit and humor, countering a prior version of the candidate that was initially seen as lackluster on the stump, especially while referring to last week's Register debate. Thompson won praise for refusing to comply with a question about climate change that asked the candidates to raise their hands.

"I just turned to them and said 'Guys, how are you going to stand up to the leaders of Iran and North Korea if you can't stand up to an overbearing moderator?'" he said.

It's that type of straight-forward attitude that drew many supporters out and converted others to Thompson's side Tuesday.

Rich Boesen, a longtime supporter from Cedar Falls said that defiance was one of the things that drew him to Thompson early.

Most likely, all the big drug firms have at least *some* scientists working on stem cell research. This isn't a stem cell research company, it's a drug company that, along with a lot of other research, does some stem cell research.

Not maybe this is still offensive to some, but it's not like he went to speak at an abortion clinic.

Propaganda, propaganda and more propaganda from the Wall Street to Washington and Saudi Connections.The Gated Communitee vs main street. Corporate pirates vs working families. The cats out of the bag. Deal with it.

As a Christian you are told to be "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves" Voting for Mike Huckabee is not wise.

You need to vote for POTUS on more qualifications than "I agree with his religion.."

How is he going to pay for a campaign? Is he going to continue taking money from outside groups to supplement his income? Is he going to pardon 1000s more criminals because he has "grace" for them. Will they continue to kill others like in AR? Did he lie about Gastric bypass surgery then make a ton of money on a diet and exercise book? etc. etc etc.

There is so much more! Do evangelicals a favor and research your candidate before you vote!!

Iowa wants to be first in the nation. Don't make yourselves look foolish. Be wise!

Think for yourselves, Do your own research people. The ethical line in stem cell research is crossed when a company's method of obtaining embrionic stem cells creates a market of death. such fears came about when people realized a market for the aborted fetus. My research reveals that Novo Nordisk has extensive ethical consideration into the matter,(some of which may be guided by Mike's consulting), and obtains it's embrio for research by leftover IVF's. They do not support the creation of embrios for this research purpose(which is were the ethical line is crossed). America, You are smart enough to think for yourselves. don't take anyones word about this issue, check it out for your self. This will give you a good start.http://novonordisk.com/sustainability/positions/stem_cell_research_uk.asp

This sounds more like the UN food-for-oil scandal than a US government.

As governor, you are paid to be the governor, nothing more. You must not do ANYTHING that even looks like a conflict of interest. My dad, who worked for a large CPA firm, was constantly searching the corporate files to make sure that he didn't own stock that was being audited by someone in another branch--to avoid even the appearance of self-dealing.

The Huckster--what more can be said, it doesn't matter if he was accepting an honorarium from an angel, he can not receive this type of payment while governor. Period. End of story.

It does not pass the smell test, and I don't want my president self-dealing. Look how bad Cheney looks with Halliburton.

I want to know how much a pardon costs...now I know why he pardoned 1000+ convicted criminals (including a dozen murderers...)

Not only is he an anti-Catholic, anti-Mormon bigot, he is a self-dealing manipulator chasing any money (and wedding gifts??) he can.

We need a person of principle, not one who has been tainted by the Arkansas political machine (hillary/huckster are cut from the same cloth)

If you want to know who controls the candidate then follow the money trail. Money drives politics and gives those that donate more access than the average citizen will ever have to "their" elected officials. If and I say IF an elected official takes money while in office for speaking at a special interest group funtion and then funnels the $'s away into a PAC without full disclosure then you have a serious ethics problem with that elected official. So step through the looking glass and follow the money.

If a politician can work on the side and make extra cash, so long as he discloses the income, what is the problem?

Which brings me to your story. The very fact that this information (assuming it to be true) is in your possession is ipso facto proof that these facts have been disclosed.

If 12 Stops never reported its income, then you would not have access to this information.

Going further, it should be noted that Gov. Huckabee's lieutenant governor was the late Winthrop Rockefeller, Jr. The man was loaded, having business interests all over the place. He did not have to shut them all down simply because he was now lt. governor.

The same goes for Huckabee... His business was public speaking. He got paid for making public speeches--just as Gov. Rockefeller got paid for running a real estate empire.

Now, if he got paid for speeches he didn't make.... that would be one thing. But if he made these speeches, and if he reported all the income, what is the difference? He did nothing different than what Rockefeller did.

Huckabees record has frightened my kids so much that they ran up to their bedrooms and are hiding under their beds. How many more criminals/murders are loose running the streets? Vote Romney the Governor who did not raise taxes, or release th ebad guys. Romney actualy cares about Public Safety. He never fired the Chief of The State Police like "Set Them Free Mike Huckabee".

the coment ontop of my coment is my dads.Hi huckabee ,I made a little song up about candidates. Huckster is scary,hillary will go crazy, Ron paul is shopping at the mall. Barrack just wants to rock!,Mcain is just a pain, Rudy is just fruity, but who`sthe one - Romney Romney.I support Mitt Romney for 08!

This morning Huckabee gave a sermon to 10000 evangelicals at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, TX. Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone is described as "militantly anti-Catholic". He apparently has a video in which he describes the Pope as "the anti-Christ" and the Catholic church as "the Beast". He has written books claiming the Catholic church is the root of anti-Semitism and linking Catholicism to Hitler and the holocaust. This morning Mike Huckabee described Pastor Hagee as "one of the great Christian leaders of our nation." If you want to stop Huckabee from winning Iowa, spread the word about this. The MSM will probably ignore it.

I was a Goldwater Republican by the time I was 20 tho I could not yet vote . I left the party for the Libertarian Party out of disgust for the alt.Democrats they had become by the end of the 1990s . I lived in Lower Manhattan for 2 decades thru 2005 when I left it looking for freedom in CO because of the nanny-police city-state NYC had become .

This election is very obviously Ron Paul versus all the oh - so - flawed status quo of Republicrat power seekers .

I lost a great friend on 0911 to our entanglement in a 21st century religious war from which the wisdom of the first clause of the first amendment to the constitution tried to protect us . Sadly Ron Paul is the only candidate who will acknowledge that obvious fact .

Frankly , I don't understand why anybody who is old enough to understand what "conservative" used to mean is not petrified by the path this country continues to plunge down . That's why I , and very likely hundreds of thousands of others who came to awareness under Eisenhower , the peace maker and the peace sustainer , have registered once again as Republicans to restore it to the party fighting for individual freedom and responsibility and against the now multiply proven bankrupt socialist notions that a professional political class wielding lawyers guns and prisons can make better choices than free individuals responsible for their own families .

The Iowa caucuses will be the first test of whether the broadband web peerage can convey to the semi-professionals who form the primary and caucus voting pool that this is one of the most significant choice points in their lives .

The populace is not going to elect any other Republican - particularly this lot . And those of us who have come back to the party will leave again and write Ron Paul in next November anyway because , sad as it is , he is the only hope we see for US .

Here's the deal. It's becoming more and more difficult to wade through the abyss of newsbytes and make an informed decision. We need to follow our gut on this one and do the right thing! evangelicalsformitt.org

Novo Nordisk is one of the leading producers of insulin and diabetes care products. Huckabee was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which he reversed by changing his diet and lifestyle and losing over 100 pounds. He was invited to speak for Novo Nordisk about his experience.

Does anyone know the specifics on the pardons that were given by Mike Huckabee when he was governor? I don't, but I would hope that anyone who had this privilege would take careful consideration with each one, with forgiveness in mind. I sincerely believe that Mike Huckabee took special care with considering each one granted. I would be more concerned about governors who granted a smaller number of pardons- which is perhaps because they didn't take the time to consider them, since the granting of pardons in general does not provide political gains.

On a separate noteAnti-Catholic? Anti-Mormon? Where are you people getting this stuff from? To the contrary, it seems as though Huckabee has in the past and continues to reach out to all people from all walks of life, which is something that I love about him.

Mike Huckabee 10-9
Mitt Romney 3-1
Fred Thompson 9-1
John McCain 9-1
Rudy Giuliani 12-1
Ron Paul 12-1
Duncan Hunter 98-1
The Cooler line is an exclusive creation of Caucus Cooler and will be updated as the political environment changes.
It is an unscientific assessment of the Iowa Caucus (not the Presidential race as a whole) from an insiders view at the given time. The line IS NOW mathematically accurate but is NOT intended for gambling purposes. Information may only be reproduced with credit to the Caucus Cooler.